Had she ever wanted to have Dad’s child? Quickly, I swallowed, because I felt bile rising up, but no way would I spare that kind of reaction for my mother.
I caught Gabe’s beautiful cobalt eyes on me, but I looked up to Clint. “How does Ryan play into any of this? It still doesn’t fit.”
Clint frowned. “Seems Ryan had a thing for your sister a long time ago. He followed Sera on the day she confronted your mother with the results of a genetic test she’d sent off.”
My brows furrowed. “I thought those only came out like four or five years ago? Mother made a big deal about that when she gave me mine for Christmas.”
Clint shook his head. “Your sister’s nothing if not resourceful, and there was a lesser known company, Family Tree DNA, which ran tests as early as 1999. Sera had hers done late in the year 2000.”
“When she was eighteen,” I muttered.
“Right. Little did either of them know, Ryan lurked and heard the entire exchange. When Sera stormed out of the room, Ryan confronted Felicia.”
My brows furrowed. “But why?”
“Why did he confront your mother?”
I nodded.
“He’s a year younger than your sister, so seventeen-year-old guy, he wanted to force your mother to get your sister to notice him. That didn’t work out since she was on her way to college anyway. He knew your parents were loaded and he pressed his case with your mother.”
My head tilted. “Really? How do you know this?”
He smiled as though he understood and respected my skepticism. “Yeah. Monday night, I cornered Pruitt with what we knew. He’s slick on the outside, but he crumbled under pressure.”
I squinted at him and he shrugged. Then he added, “As far as you know.”
I gave him a nonplussed smile, but then I heard footsteps in the hallway. The sound receded, indicating the person walked the opposite direction and it hit me how the building was set up. There were entryways on either end of the corridor, and whoever was leaving was exiting to the south side of the building. I tired to lean forward, but my recent surgery prevented that.
Gabe gently pushed me back, but Clint had turned his head at the sound and he seemed to know what I was trying to find out.
“That was your father. He’s leaving. You want, I’m sure Mr. Oteros will fill you in as much as he can, but I don’t think he’ll have more to tell you than I just did.”
I shook my head. “That’s all right. I just wish Dad would’ve come by to see me, since he knew I was here.”
Gabe made a noise and I looked to him. “Honey, I can see how devastated you are right now. Can you imagine what he’s going through? I don’t think he wants you to see him that way. Do you?”
Tears sprung to my eyes as I realized how smart Gabe could be and how lucky I was to have him around.
“You’re right,” I croaked, and turned my head away so he wouldn’t see me cry.
He crab-walked forward to slide his arms around my waist. “You comin’ to my place, baby?”
I whipped my head to him and glared. “You can’t call me ‘baby,’ right now, Gabe!”
“Why?”
There was no way to hide the anger from my face, so I didn’t. “Because, you just can’t. It’s not right. I’m not sure I forgive you yet.”
He chuckled, and I growled.
“What is so funny?”
“You,” he said, getting up to sit next to me on the bench.
“I’m not funny, mister.”
“Whatever you say, but seriously. I’ll take you to your place if you want. Carry you up the stairs and everything, but I’d rather you stay with me, darlin’.”
“Why?” I whispered.
He gently turned my face to his. “Are you shitting me? I love you, Daughtry. And, I hesitate to bring it up, but I could be your baby-daddy as far as I know.”
The tears came so fast, I couldn’t keep one from sliding down my face. “Nope. My cycle kicked into gear yesterday.”
He looked like he had been deflated, his torso slumped so dramatically. “I’m sorry, honey.”
Now my eyes widened. “Sorry? Really? So you did plan to get me pregnant?”
He chuckled. “I really didn’t, but I won’t lie, baby.” A sheepish grin crossed his face. “I liked the idea a whole lot.”
My eyes closed while I shook my head. “You would,” I muttered.
He leaned into me cupping my cheeks with his hands. “You listen to my CD?”
“No,” I whispered, suddenly wishing I had.
“Shame on you, Cassandra,” he chided. Then he added, “Lucky for you I know you so well. I got an extra copy in my truck. Let’s go. Get you some food, and some painkillers if you need ’em.”
IT HIT ME WHILE LISTENING to the new Michael Franti music. Gabe was communicating to me, and in one of the best ways in my opinion. I hadn’t apologized to him yet, and I needed to do it before he had to heft my weight up the stairs.
When we pulled up to a red light, I looked to him. “Gabe, I’m sorry.”
He stared at me for a beat. “What for, baby?”
“For being so hard on you. I shouldn’t have turned you away from my hospital room, but I heard what you said in the breezeway and I hated you for it.”
“Breezeway,” he started, but the car behind us honked. He faced forward and drove onward.
“Yeah. I heard you talking about getting pizza after dropping off my brush and that being ‘done.’ In my mind it was just that easy for you to get rid of me and I... I don’t know, I guess I made assumptions on top of all the other shit between us.”
He exhaled hard through his nose while his hand reached out to squeeze my thigh. “That’s all right, Cassie-Cass. I had no idea you were in that apartment, but I figured someone was watching, and I couldn’t let anyone know I
